Fremont to settle with former chief for $50,000

FREMONT — The town has agreed to pay former Police Chief Neal Janvrin $50,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed after he was fired last August.

Under the agreement approved by Janvrin and selectmen in June and released publicly last week, the town will make two payments of $25,000 to Janvrin to end the wrongful termination suit.

Of the $50,000 settlement, $15,000 will be paid for "alleged economic loss" and $30,000 will cover "alleged non-economic loss," the agreement states. The remaining $5,000 will be used to cover Janvrin's legal fees.

The town's attorney, Charles Bauer, said the payment will be made by the town's insurer, Local Government Center Property Liability Trust LLC.

According to the settlement agreement, the town denies any wrongdoing.

Janvrin was dismissed on Aug. 20, 2012, after nearly 23 years as the town's part-time police chief.

In their notice of dismissal, selectmen claimed Janvrin was "physically unstable in the field" and had a "confrontational" attitude toward other officers.

They also alleged that he failed to observe established procedures and protocols and that his "judgments and decision making are inconsistent and demonstrate memory lapses, lack of comprehension, and unpredictability," the notice said.In his suit filed in Rockingham County Superior Court last October, Janvrin denied the allegations and claims his firing was "discriminatory."He maintained that his decisions weren't inconsistent and that he was unaware of any policy violations. According to the suit, Janvrin's personnel file is "completely devoid of any notation of any problems in these areas or any confirmation of discipline of any sort or kind."Janvrin also filed a discrimination complaint against the town with the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights in February.As part of the settlement, Janvrin also agreed to have the agreement kept on file at the town clerk's office and made available to the public.

He also "agrees not to publicly disclose, publish, or otherwise distribute, directly or indirectly, any information concerning this release, the litigation, the claims or the settlement of the litigation, to any person or entity in the general public except as required by law and for specific professional investment planning and tax advice," the agreement states.If anyone asks him about the settlement, the agreement said Janvrin is required to refer inquiries to his Manchester attorney, Andru Volinsky, and respond by saying "I have no comment" or "The matter has been resolved."Selectmen began the search for a new police chief while the town and Janvrin were in the midst of settlement negotiations. Former Derry Police Lt. Jon Twiss was hired last month and officially took over as chief last week.